Hosting an Industry Tour

Industry tours are held every other month, typically in the morning, at a different Chamber member business. Industry tours give community members a chance to tour and learn about the major manufacturing companies and other industries present in Santa Maria. If you think your business would be a good fit for an Industry Tour, contact Events and Special Projects Manager Alex Magana at (805) 925-2403 x 814 or alex@santamaria.com.

Once you have coordinated being an Industry Tour host, the following guidelines will help you plan a successful Industry Tour:

Scheduling a Tour

Industry Tours are generally held the 4th Tuesday of January, March, May, July, September, and November. Typically, tours run from 7:30 am to 9:00 am. With enough advance notice, it is possible to schedule an Industry Tour at an alternate time/date that works for your business and the Chamber calendar. Confirmations for hosting an Industry tour are to be coordinated with Alex Magana at the Chamber at least 6-8 weeks prior to the desired tour date.

Industry Tour Itinerary

Plan on about 1 ½ hours for the tour. Notify your employees in advance of the tour so they can prepare.

Make sure the facility is “clean,” not just for presentation, but for safety!

We suggest providing some history of your business and talk about exciting facts that would intrigue your fellow members. Tell them about the processes and any “high-tech” equipment they will be seeing on the tour.

Map or plan out the tour route for the members, especially if there are staggered groups and/or if they will be seeing multiple buildings on the same location. Make it an efficient route, ideally paralleling your production process so they see the product from “raw to finished.” Have the members stop at each station to talk with employees who do that part of the process.

Designate one person to moderate or oversee the tour as a whole, as well as identify those who will speak at each station.

After the tour, there can be a wrap-up with time for questions.

Coordinate Food & Drinks

The Chamber can provide coffee and light pastries for the tour if appropriate.